Soul Prism
by Yume no Wolfie
Summary: A regular day in Domino turns up an ivitation, a new Sennen Item, a lost soul, and a promise.
1. The Players

::Soul Prism::  
  
**Disclaimer: **See my other fanfiction's disclaimers, then you'll understand.  
  
**A/N: **I was inspired by a reviewer's pen name, tamashiipurizuma, for the title and to write this. I dunno. R&R!!  
  
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prism (n): an optical device having a triangular shape and made of glass or quartz; used to deviate a beam or invert an image.  
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The music box was open. The small, high-pitched music that emitted from it was slow and sweet. And he stooped over it, watching the small, metal sticks that were arranged in something that looked like a matchbox being plucked by the bumps on the turning cylander that resembled a thread spool. The music box, in shape, was a piano, fit with all fifty-two keys. Both black and white. The small stands were golden and the rest of it was clear glass, or, at least, he thought it was glass.  
  
His soft, crystalline tears would fall silently as he whispered her name. As he lamented over his lost sister, "Amane." For the music box had once been hers. And her dreams and hopes still lived inside of him. And haunted him. Everytime he went to bed at night and dreamed, he would either see the malicious face of Bakura or see the soft figure of the sister he never knew. When he was having a particularily cruel dream, he would see both. His malevolent Yami would draw his knife slowly across Ryou's skin. And it wouldn't burn or hurt. And then, he would see his sister, reaching out to him, begging him to join her in the afterlife. Bakura's taunting purrs still echoed in Ryou's ears, "Yes, join your sister... in hell!" And then he would laugh and strike Ryou down with a bloody blow.  
  
Thus was the fate of Ryou Bakura: To be taunted forevermore by his Yami and haunted by his long dead sister. And, only on quiet, dreamless nights, was Ryou ever truly content. His broken body laid out on his bed, tired from the day at school or the beating from his drunken father, depending whether it was past happy hour and what day of the week it was.  
  
He greeted the morning with nothing more of a moan of pain or a groan, dreading that final math assignment or that it was Saturday, which meant his father would be out past midnight and awaken Ryou with his drunken ramblings when he got back home. Sunday was the day he got a rest from it all. If Ryou was lucky, his father would have a dreadful hangover and would be in bed the whole day, leaving him able to romp around with the usual gang, many of whom, had their own problems.  
  
Jonouchi Katsuya was a perverted, ex-gang member. His father, like Ryou's, was an alchoholic. His sister, Shizuka, however, was very much alive. Narrowly escaped being blind for the rest of her life, but alive. Jonouchi's mother and father had seperated at an early age in Jonouchi's life. He's not sure what age. But, he guesses around five or six. And his family doesn't care about him, with the exception of Shizuka, who adores her brother and idolizes him. Jonouchi has honey-colored hair and soft, chocolate brown eyes that sparkle with humor. Shizuka's hair is cinnamon red and her eyes are a bright, lively green. You almost saw no resemblence between the two at all, except for their personalities were very much alike. They both loved life.  
  
Yuugi Mouto was the short kid. A regular bully magnent, which, of course, was one of his main flaws. One couldn't even call it a flaw. It wasn't his fault he was so short. And his hair was a mere blur of red, yellow, and black; his eyes were round and purple. He could have very well been the pure essence of innocence. His mother was still around, though his father traveled often, and was hardly ever home. Therefore, he lived with his grandfather, Solomon Mouto. The old man was wise and fun-loving; and just about as short as Yuugi. He always wore a orange bandanna around his greying hair. And his eyes were purple, just the same, though they lacked the round, innocent-ness that filled Yuugi's. They were sterner, and looked as if he'd seen many things he wished he hadn't.  
  
Anzu Mizaki was the brown-haired, brown-eyed optimistic one. Well, more optomistic than Yuugi, anyway. If that was even mentally possible. One of her highest values was friendship and not to be pushed around. She had even given Jonouchi his fair share of slappings whenever he even tried to flip her skirt up at school. All in all, she was the gentle-hearted tomboy of the group. She never really talked about her parents much, as if they were some deep, dark secret that no one was entitled to know but her.  
  
Then, there was Seto Kaiba. The arrogant CEO of the world wide Kaiba Corp sometimes tagged along. Ryou thought that it was just to make Jonouchi's life miserable. Other times, he thought the corporate executive was just lonely. Hey, he was a teenager, too, and had a craving for a social life. He had short, brown hair and icy blue eyes that sparkled with the love for his little brother, Mokuba. Who was only about thirteen with raven black hair and the same blue eyes his big brother, niisama, had.  
  
With another groan, Ryou slipped out of bed. It was Sunday, the best day of the week for him, other than the fact that school would start up again tomorrow and there was a history test he would be up all night studying for. He slipped jeans over his boxers and a shirt over his chest, making sure the sleeves covered up the hideous scars that littered his skin. Today, everyone had arranged to meet at Ryou's house. Luckily, his father still wasn't back. And Ryou couldn't help but feel some deep sort of dread that swelled in his chest like a great balloon so much that Ryou thought his heart would explode. But, no time to think about that now.  
  
"Going somewhere?" Bakura purred into Ryou's head. The voice made a chill roll down his spine.  
  
"N-no, Bakura, not anywhere special, anyway..." Ryou was a terrible liar.  
  
Bakura smirked at his Hikari's cowardice, "Not that it matters to me, anyway." He lounged against the invisible wall of his soul room.  
  
Ryou swallowed, mumbled an 'Arigatou', bowed respectfully to the invisible Yami for allowing him to leave without trouble and headed out the door.  
  
Little did he know. Little did anyone know. That their lives were about to change. One of them would die for the sake of the others. 


	2. The Game Master

::Soul Prism::  
  
**Disclaimer: **Yu-Gi-Oh! is not mine.  
  
**A/N: **Hope you liked the first chappie, hope you like the second.  
  
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freak (n): 3. an unusual animal, person, plant, etc.   
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She didn't know how or why she had it. As far as she knew, she'd had it since birth. What was 'it'? Well, it was a prism that hung from her necklace. It caught all sorts of light from all sorts of angles and cast them on the wall. Sometimes, there were images. Images of people running and screaming from condemnation. Images of people crying for mercy. Images of people laughing. Images of people romping around the forests barefoot, their shoes long-forgotten. Then again, what were a few images that only appeared briefly, if at all.  
  
Her name was Tana. She had short, shouder-length brown hair streaked with crimson; her brown eyes were so dark they were nearly black. She had no social life, thus, she learned how to tame the illusions that came from her prism. By keeping in touch with the spirit, Sanction, inside of the prism. She could tap into the events of the outside world and alter them ever so slightly by sending an illusion. Whether it was a half-snake, half-human or a werewolf, she could do it.  
  
But, with every gift comes a curse.  
  
There had always been those meditations where you went inside yourself. First, you breathed deeply and relaxed, then you allowed yourself to feel yourself bound to the earth by roots that came from your feet. And, by accessing your inner self, you could truly find your inner beauty.  
  
Tana had done this once. Her inner beauty was a deep, emerald forest, so quiet. There was a lake in the center of the forest, and she looked into that lake and truly saw herself. She was black like the pure night sky. And she wasn't human, either. She was a burly wolf with teeth sharp like knives; she was about the size of a great dane. Her eyes were the most piercing yellow, like the full moon at its highest point. So much power and might with such beauty that was unsurpassed in the animal kingdom.  
  
And Tana liked it.  
  
She had heard a voice whisper inside her mind. She knew it was Sanction.  
  
"This is your curse, in order to weild the Sennen prism to its full capacity, you must become your inner self every night. This is your gift; this is your curse."  
  
And there was no argument with that.  
  
For six years, Tana had lived with that curse. Every night, she changed into the black wolf of her dreams; trapped in her room, longing for the outside world. She wondered what it would feel like to have the grass between her paws, innocent and covered with fresh dew. What it would be like to roam free, howling like a banshee at the moon for all it was worth. Surely, if she couldn't have a social life in the human world, the animals would accept her with stride.  
  
Sleepover after sleepover she missed. She declined each invitation, for fear her peers might uncover her secret. And, at the age of thirteen, she realized that she was a freak. A person with a dreaded curse to bear over her shoulders like a burden. A heavy one. If she had any hope of having a social life, it was gone, now. Kaylee was her best friend, and she had asked Tana several times why she didn't appear at sleepovers or lock-ins. The answer was always the same.  
  
"I had things to tend to."  
  
And, every night, Tana would look at her wolf-self in the mirror and wonder what she had become. She would curse at the Sennen prism and Sanction.  
  
Sanction would only sit and listen.  
  
Finally, Sanction spoke, 'There is great power sealed within you, Tana.'  
  
Tana fixed her wolf eyes on a mirror, =Some power, if I am condemned to be held in my room without bail! I can't even go outside at night, for fear I will lose control.=  
  
Sanction nodded, 'Yes, and I understand that fear. But the potential for you is great. If we were to gather the Sennen items and take them, we would have ultimate power over everything. Think of it. Unsurpassed power. And you already know how to weild the Sennen prism.'  
  
And thus, a promise for power was made. 


	3. Innocent Collision

**Disclaimer:** Ookami-sama does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! in any way, shape, or form.  
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"Friendship is the hardest thing in the world to explain. It's not something you learn in school. But if you haven't learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven't learned anything." - Muhammad Ali

* * *

Rain drizzled down from the heavens endlessly. Puddles were scattered about the road and sidewalks spontaniously. They were muddy and thick; small rivers flowed down the asphaulted roads and into ditches in the side of the street.  
  
Ryou sighed as he left his apartment building. Holding his umbrella above him, he departed from the sanctuary of an overhanging roof and walked onto the sidewalk, disturbing the puddles everytime he stepped in one. His white locks of hair swayed lightly in the breeze. Ryou felt his chocolate-colored eyes wander towards the sky. The sky was a monotonous grey that stretched from horizon to horizon. He didn't really think it would start thunderstorming... yet.  
  
Sighing once again in longing for no school, as is anyone's wish, Ryou started off again. He wasn't usually alone. But, today, it seemed as if the world was still sleeping in the bland taste of the day.  
  
"Ryou! Wait up!" Ryou suddenly turned to see one of his friends, Yuugi.  
  
"Good morning, Yuugi." Ryou smiled.  
  
"Good morning. Sorry I'm late," Yuugi caught up to his companion, quite wet with the morning's rain, "Yami forgot to wake me up and then I couldn't find my backpack."  
  
"That's alright. I'm quite fine on my own, afterall." And so, the two chattered away the minutes to their school. When they finally arrived, the school was already alive with rumors of a new student. Evidentally, 'Kelly heard from Conner who's friends with Yumi who spoke to Mr. Kazami who accidentally let slip that there was going to be a new student while tutoring Yumi'. Some girls in the corner squealed about how they hoped it was as cute as the last student and giggled as they passed Ryou.  
  
Yuugi rolled her eyes, "Girls.. Hopeless creatures of whom are on a different parrallel plane."  
  
"How long exactly did you work on that?" Ryou asked, amuzement playing across his face.  
  
"All night."  
  
Ryou smiled and shook his head. And, just as soon as they had entered their classroom and joined up with their friends, the schoolbell rang.  
  
Mr. Kazami took center stage in front of his classroom. After the morning excersizes, Mr. Kazami adjusted the glasses atop his nose. His hair was black and matted, he had evidentally not combed his hair this morning; his eyes were brown.  
  
"This morning class, we have a new student," At that, the door opened and a girl stepped forward, her head held high in confidence. Her brown hair was streaked with crimson; her eyes looked black, "This is Tana Mokai."  
  
Tana bowed to the class respectfully, "Hi." She smiled and waved a bit, complete in her uniform.  
  
"Tana.. There's an empty seat behind Yuugi, would you mind sitting there?" Mr. Kazami smiled.  
  
"Sure. Thank you, Mr. Kazami." Tana smiled and took her seat quietly.  
  
Before Yuugi could turn around and greet her, Mr. Kazami had already started on the math lesson for the day. With groans arising from the throats of the other students, he grabbed his math boook.  
  
Tana, dittoing those around her, she picked up her book, boring holes in the back of Yuugi's neck the whole while.  
  
_Pharoah, you will fall. Just as those around you will. You will feel my wrath soon enough._  
  
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**[End log: 12:09 am] **


	4. Coincidence?

::Soul Prism::  
  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!  
  
**A/N:** Thankies to those of you who reviewed! -glomps reviewers- I LOVE YOU!! -ahem- anyway. R&R, peoples! I need encouragement, too!!  
  
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accident (n): 1. a mishap; especially one causing injury or death  
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Of course, none other than Jonouchi was outside. His blonde hair swaying gently in the mild breeze. He drew in a long draw of night air, pregnant with the scent of already-past rain. He was enjoying the unusual silence that surrounded Thursday night. It was amazing how fast the time had flown. It seemed only yesturday that a new student, Tana, was it?, had joined their class at Domino High. She wasn't a bad looker, either. Most of the boys talked about her, wondered if she had a boyfriend. Not him, though. He already had a girl in his life. He smiled as he thought of Mai. The rough- and-tough, kick-ass girl. Her dueling skills were elite. As were his...  
  
A sudden flash of liquid shadow in the moonlight. Jonouchi was immeadiately alert. He had belonged to a few gangs in his life-time, many of whom would kill to have him back in their gang.  
  
"Who's there? Show yourself!" He stood, fully erect and ready to fight off anything that it might've been. Hellish demon or not.  
  
A hideous growl from beside him.  
  
Jonouchi took a step back, "Whoever you are, I have a gun... Somewhere.." he added silently under his breath.  
  
==Fool! You cannot shoot me! I am the thing nightmares are made of!== The voice came from all around Jonouchi. He thought that it might even be coming from inside his head.  
  
Jonouchi felt himself taking a faltering step backwards as a burly dog soaked up the moonlight, like a spotlight, "Wh-what are you?"  
  
==I am what will devour your soul and leave your flesh for your friends to find.== The wolf leapt.  
  
And that was Jonouchi's last conscious memory.  
  
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"And in Domino news today," The newscaster on the screen kept a indifferent face on as Yuugi sleepily ate a bowl of soupy oatmeal. "A young boy, his name is unknown, was found limp a forest near Sakura Road and 113th street. Every attempt to revive the young boy has proven unsuccessful. There appeared to be a struggle and there are bite marks on his arm... Let's go to -" She was cut off as Yuugi turned the television off. Sleepily grabbing his backpack, he headed for another Friday at Domino High.  
  
=-=  
  
"Did you hear, Jonouchi didn't come to school today."  
  
"Aw, he probably just skipped class."  
  
"No, I don't think so..."  
  
"Didja hear about the boy who was found unconscious at Sakura Road?"  
  
"Isn't that where Jonouchi lives?"  
  
"It's coincidence."  
  
This was what Yuugi entered the school hearing, whisps and clips of conversations. Most surrounding the contriversial topic of 'the guy that was found unconscious on Sakura Road'.  
  
"Have you heard anything about Jonouchi lately, Yuugi?" Ryou asked as he approached the short blonde.  
  
"Since yesterday, no." Yuugi yawned and stretched.  
  
"That's really weird... the person who was mauled was on the same street as Jonouchi lives..." Ryou stared at the ceiling, "Do you think there's a connection?"  
  
"Nah, Jonouchi's alright. He's probably just sick or something."  
  
Severing the conversation between the two, the school bell rang shrilly, causing the students in the hall to scurry to their classes.  
  
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**[End log: 1:00am]**  
  
**A/N:** R&R!!!! -please-? 


	5. The Evelope

::Soul Prism::

**Disclaimer: **See first chappie

**A/N: **My, my! Where has the time gone? It's winter already!

**Reviewer's Corner: **

Pottergirl105: Very easily.

Ayako Kadori: Eh heh.. At least I updated, ne?

**Begin Log 2:00 PM**

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envelope (n): 1. a paper cover in which a letter or anything flat and fairly thin can be mailed, filed, etc.  
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And the world had gone on without any further question on Jounouchi's whereabouts. Yuugi supposed he was visiting his sister, Shizuka, who now had sight and was living in an aparment on the other side of the city. Honda supposed that Jounochi was off causing trouble somewhere else. Anzu's assumption was a bit more morbid, that Jounouchi had _actually_ gone off to kill his father.

Ryou couldn't care less. He wasn't exactly "best friends" with Jounouchi anyway. It's not like it mattered to him. He was busy with his nose in his school work, pondering fractions and algebraic equations tirelessly. True, math was not his favorite subject, but he would give his own time for extra, unnecessary tutoring in order to squirm away from his darker half, Bakura.

And it wasn't long before all their destinies collided.

Returning home from tutoring, Ryou, as usual, gathered and sorted the mail. But, one thing caught his eye. It was a manilla envelope. Ryou inspected it curiously, holding it above his head and trying to peer inside it. He sat down at his kitchen table and placed him in front of it. He scrutinized it some more, no return address.

"That's odd.." he murmured. His name and address were inscribed on the back in loopy handwriting. Very fancy handwriting.

Finally, he gathered up the courage to actually _open_ the evelope. Prying the prongs open, he slid a thick stack of papers from its interior and read the heading outloud.

"Modern/Fantasy Role-Playing Game...'" He was immeadietly interested. His expertise and skill at RPGs had increased since when he first started playing them.

"This must be the manual.." Ryou said, flipping eagerly through page after page of rules and regulations.

Finally, he reached a date. "Next week!" he exclaimed, "I need to get ready!"

:::--:::

Meanwhile, Yuugi was walking into his house. He, too, gathered the mail and found a curious-looking manilla envelope...

**End log 2:15**

**A/N: **Short chappie, I know.


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